Many think that a diagnosis of autism means a child is doomed to a lonely life devoid of any accomplishments. History has proven this theory to be false, and many people with the higher-functioning forms of autism have gone on to do great things. There are some autistic famous people who though may have struggled initially can be an inspiration to children with autism, or their parents.

Autism does not have to be a dark and lonely existence. Some autistic children are very bright, and they have a personality to match. No one with a disability should be underestimated, and this goes for those with autism as much as for anyone with any other condition.

Though it has not been proven, some speculate that Albert Einstein may have had a high functioning form of autism. Because he is no longer alive, there is no way he can be diagnosed. However, these theories are popular, and they are attributed to some behaviors that he demonstrated, and that he was, in his own words, very much a loner and did not feel particularly connected to anyone, even his immediate family members. He was brilliant with math, but by some accounts, did not begin to speak until the age of two or three. He would often become so involved in his work that he would forget to eat meals and if a lecture he was giving drew no observers, he would lecture anyway. Again, this is just a theory, but it would appear that this assumption could be valid.

Jason McElwain is probably one of the more recent and most inspirational story of a person with autism. He was the manager for his school basketball team at a high school in the suburbs of Rochester, NY, and practiced shooting hoops for hours on end all by himself. Though he was not technically a member of the team due to height and skill level, he loved the game so much he stayed with them. He was allowed to play in the last four minutes of the last game of the season, and scored an astonishing 20 points during that time, some of them from three point range. Most players can’t score that high throughout an entire game! He has become an inspiration to many with autism or those with autistic children.

Actress Daryl Hannah was said to have been diagnosed as ‘borderline autistic’ at the age of three, but has gone on to have a successful career as an actress. She is probably best known for her role in the movies Splash and the Kill Bill series.

Andy Kaufman (died 1984) was well-known for having a very strange and outlandish sense of humor. He is another actor thought to have had autism.

Two very well known artists, Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol may have had autism. They exhibited many traits of those with higher functioning types of this condition, and were seen as ‘eccentric’ and brilliant. Autism is thought to be the root cause for their bright and unusual personalities and life choices. Though Courtney Love is not perhaps the best example of what someone with autism can do, it is noticed that she was diagnosed at age three as ‘mildly autistic.’ She has had her ups and down, but her band Hole did enjoy some success.

Perhaps some of the most well-known people to have this condition were born before an actual diagnosis could be made. That means that these autistic famous people have a diagnosis that is based on speculation and things that they were known for when they were alive. Many of these people are important for both historical reasons, and for bettering the world in a number of ways. Examples are Sir Isaac Newton (mathematician), Wolfgang Mozart (composer/musician), Charles Darwin (naturalist/scientist), and Michelangelo (painter/sculptor/architect/poet).

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Autistic children often have a preoccupation with repetitive or stereotypical behaviours and mannerisms. Their behaviours may appear strange or odd to those who do not understand autism and the characteristics of autism.

One such way this manifests itself is that the child may have a preoccupation with one or more restricted and stereotyped patterns of interests that may seem abnormal in respect to focus and intensity. For example the child can sit and look at the ceiling fan for the whole day, and doesn’t care what is happening in his environment, all that matters is the fan. The child may also have to have certain routines and rituals. He becomes very distressed over little changes in routine. If he passes by a certain way to school, it has to be the same way. If you use the main stairs going to his classroom, then taking a different route like the elevator would definitely agitate him, make him angry and have tantrums. The child may also have repetitive behaviours or mannerisms. Hand flapping, finger twisting, and complex body movements are examples of these. Lastly, he can also be preoccupied with object parts like buttons, screws and other small details, he may seem to neglect the forest for the trees in everyday objects.

Autistic children often view the world very differently than those around them. What may seem strange and unusual to you is simply life from the perspective of an autistic child. Their introverted worlds can be very different in all realms of senses, and all perceptions.

Autistic children view the world around them very differently than most children, to learn more about your child’s autistic world, click here!

There are many medications for autism currently in use. Doctors attempt to make their selections from among the current medications for treating autism based on the symptoms the autistic person is showing and past successes and failures treating that particular person with other medications for treating autism.

Caretakers of someone who has been diagnosed with autism will need to be particularly observant when medications for autism are changed. In some cases adverse reactions or undesired outcomes may result from the use of current medications for treating autism. This is why the autistic patient will generally be started on a very low dose of a medication and then slowly moved up until the smallest effective dose is found or the medication is ruled out as a positive treatment for that particular patient.

It should be emphasized that there are no medications for curing autism, only medications for treating autism. For this reason, medications for autism are often combined with various other types of therapy to receive the best overall results. The goal is to get enough benefits from the medications for treating autism to help the patient function closer to normal in society and be able to learn and grow as a person towards more independent, broad mental capacities.

Specific Medications For Autism:

Anti-Anxiety

Autistic people often suffer a lot of anxiety on a daily basis. They do not have the same mental controls over their responses to these anxieties that an ordinary person typically has. As a result they may act out in unpredictable ways and suffer a lot of mental anguish they cannot understand. Anti-anxiety medications can help with treating autism’s anxiety, but the patient should be monitored for any signs of extreme actions that they might not normally take when beginning anti-anxiety medications for autism.

Anti-Psychotic

Those with autism may act out their thoughts and feelings in ways that we find strange and unpredictable. In some cases they may even become a physical danger to themselves and others. Anti-psychotics can be used to help the autistic patient respond more calmly and predictably to their thoughts and feelings. This should help the autistic person sleep better and act with less aggression.

Anti-Convulsant

Anti-Convulsant medications are used for treating autism when the autism is accompanied by seizures.

Sedative

Occasionally, autistic patients will be treated with sedatives for insomnia for short periods of time. Other methods usually need to be implemented to help the autistic person relax and go to sleep over the long term because sedatives are only a short-term sleep solution.

Stimulant

Stimulants are often prescribed to help those with autism to focus their minds. Autistic people tend to be easily distracted. This is particularly important for autistic school children who already have a lot to overcome in school.

More information about Autism Medications can be found at http://www.AutismRibbon.Net/autism-medications.html